Olga
Please can someone explain to me when you would use the words "deluded" vs. "delusional"? It seems to me that they mean the same thing and are used in the same situation, ie "You're deluded" and "You're delusional", but I assume there is a subtle difference so could anyone explain that to me? :)
Mar 5, 2015 4:41 PM
Answers · 6
1
I think "deluded" is an act. Delusional is you attribute
March 5, 2015
Effectively the same. Technically, delusional means a person tends to be deluded (a personality characteristic), and deluded is the verb form. In practice, this distinction is not used. It is more common (at least in American English) to say, "You're delusional" or something like "he deluded himself", i.e. reflexive pronoun after it.
March 5, 2015
They mean they same thing, but "delude" is a verb and "delusional" is an adjective. To delude means: : to cause (someone) to believe something that is not true If someone is delusional or deluded they are in a state of false belief. They believe something that's not true. Example: That poor guy thinks he's rich. He's clearly delusional. In other words he has a false sense of reality.
March 5, 2015
Anyone can be deluded, that is fooled or misled about something. Delusions and being delusional refers to an actual mental illness. In some common everyday conversations those without mental health training my use them interchangeably, but it is wrong to do so. "He was deluded into thinking she would go out with him." "He was delusional and believed himself to be a cow."
March 5, 2015
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